Brice
One of the major lands of the Old World, Brice is infamous for being in a state of perpetual feud with at least one of its neighbours, be it Gallantaria, Ruddlestone or even Mauristatia. The reason for this is that it has few natural resources of its own, and is perfectly willing to cause vast wars in order to gain any useful land whatsoever.''Titan'' - p. 21Internet Archive record of The Realm of Brice on The Shrine of Hamaskis - Retrieved 2019-09-16. Non-canon . Introduction Because the dictators of Brice keep the populace in permanent readiness for war, exercising total command over the land from the capitol, the Forbidden Fortress, the country has proved very skilled at offensive and defensive strategies alike over the years, as proved by the First and Second Ruddlestone Wars of 1735 and 1805OT, and by their instigation of the War of the Four Kingdoms in 175AC. Although Brice has fertile farmland around the Forbidden Fortress and mines the titular gemstones from the Diamond Islands, it is otherwise lacking in assets. However, Brice also has what many military experts from the Old World believe is the best army in the continent, and thus the military has enormous power in the country. History *''Early relations with Gallantaria'' When the subjects of King Regulus were expanding westward, they encountered a group of people living in huts across what is now called the Border River. These people stated that they served the Lords of Brice, and hence had no loyalty to King Regulus. - pp. 36-7 During the reign of King Werkel, several battles between Gallantaria and Brice were fought, until a peace treaty made the newly named Border River the boundary between the two nations. *''The Ruddlestone Wars'' Brice then made a series of sorties into Ruddlestone, which resulted in Ruddlestone building the Demonkeep Outpost. These attacks eventually became the First Ruddlestone War in 1735 OT. The Second Ruddlestone War followed in 1805 OT. *''The War of the Four Kingdoms'' Brice continued to "squabble with anyone it could" after the end of the Second Ruddlestone War. Brice also became jealous of the wealth of its neighbour Gallantaria and began plotting an invasion. Legend of the Shadow Warriors - Background Finally, in the year 175AC, Brice sent a military force over the Border River into Gallantaria,thus starting the War of the Four Kingdoms. ''Titan'' - pp.44-5 Rob Horton, "Escape from Oblivion". Fightingfantasygamebooks.com, 2009. The Regent of Brice had secretly made a deal with the Gallantarian Baron Tag, offering him the throne of Gallantaria if he would betray his country. Tag agreed, and assassinated King Constain of Gallantaria and his family in Narrow Pass in the Cragrock Peaks. However, Tag's plans were thwarted by the wizard Tantalon, who helped defeat Brice and find an new ruler for the throne. Brice maintained an infamous prison camp for Gallantarian soldiers called "Oblivion" for the duration of the conflict. During the war, one of the leaders of Brice's military was the infamous Inquisitor General Karam Gruul. - "Welcome to the Badlands (Introduction)". Gruul did all he to prolong and worsen the war; ensuring all the while that almost none knew his true appearance, and keeping his foulest practices hidden to all but fewer still. Bruul placed magical fire-traps along Brice's borders that claimed hundreds of lives, took even more prisoners to his dreaded Tower of Inquisition, purged any Bricians who opposed the war,as well as any general that might thwart his will; and sent thousands of Brician soldiers to their deaths without ever making an appearance on any battlefield. After the war, a Treaty of Peace was signed between the Four Kingdoms, and an "uneasy peace" came to the four former combatants. One key provision of the Peace Treaty was that Gruul be captured and brought to justice, a task several bounty hunters attempted. *''The Crown of Kings'' After the War, Brice was allowed to use the Crown of Kings as a goodwill gesture, and the country prospered under the Crown. Politics Brice is ruled by a military dictatorship. During the War of the Four Kingdoms, an official named "the Regent of Brice" made a deal with Baron Tag to betray the Gallantaria King. Since the title "Regent" means one who rules in the temporary absence of a monarch, it was implied that this individual was the ruler of Brice. However, Moonrunner mentions a "warmongering Brician king" who tried to conceal the fact that Karam Gruul was still alive after the War. So it is not clear what the relationship between the Regent and the "Brician King" was. According to one source, a century after the end of the War of the Four Kingdoms, the nation's ruler is the Lord Regent, Tinardo Del Riska. It is the Lord Regent who wears the Crown of Kings when Brice receives the loan of the artefact. Brician society is split into two divisions; the rich members of the military, and the poverty-stricken civilians. Many of the average citizens of Brice are serfs, with no political rights of any kind. The warrior aristocrats near the Mauristatian border force their peons to coerce a few crops out of the over-farmed, depleted soils there. Full-blown slavery is also legal in Brice, unlike in Gallantaria and Ruddlestone; there is an infamous slave market in the City of Mazes. Pirates from Brice's City of Mazes frequently attack the ships of other nations. The government leaves the north of the country near the City of Mazes largely unregulated, and private wars between Brician nobles often break out there. Bricians also carry out pirate attacks on travellers passing by the Border River. As a result of one of these attacks, Sir Dunstable was captured and placed in the dungeons of Stinn Castle. ''The Tasks of Tantalon'' - p.6 Brice has mining colonies on the Diamond Islands and claims sovereignty over the archipelago. People The inhabitants of Brice have been described as "miserable citizens". ''Titan'' - p. 121 During the War of the Four Kingdoms, a number of Orcs and Trolls fought in the Brician army; - para 275 it is not known if they are still allowed to serve in the country's military. People of Brice include: *Lord Regent of Brice, Tinardo Del Riska *Karam Gruul *Lord Meracass *Brician Warlords *Santé Shaaman, Captain of a Merchant ship in Kharé. - p. 4 *Ryan of Brice, a Merchant trading in Cantopani village. - 27-28 *Jan van Harack - Brician Adventurer exploring the Lake Lumlé area -"In Search of the Mungies' Gold :Background" pp.20-21. Non-canon *Matra Ouspenskaya - inmate of Craven Asylum in Blackhaven - 1, 275 *Prince of Brice who used the Mutant Meatballs - 375 Geography Brice's capital is the Forbidden Fortress, an enormous citadel where the Lord Regent and his nobles govern, and from which foreigners are barred. The country's main port is the the City of Mazes, a ramshackle city named for twisty streets which often terminate in dead ends. The City of Mazes is a lawless metropolis that is home to smugglers, pirates and outlaws. Malevolent religious cults operate in this city, and hedonistic pleasures are available in here; this has caused the City of Mazes to be sometimes compared to other crime-ridden cities, such as Port Blacksand and Kharé. - 21/33, 126/297-299 Many of the Brician troops come from the country's hilly peninsula north of the City of Mazes where various monsters rampage and the people are tougher. Quill is a port town focused on the university of the same name. Quill is also a trading centre for the diamonds mined from the northern islands, which form the backbone of Brice's economy. The village of Stinn, near the titular castle, is a small community whose economy is dominated by fishing. In Brice's southwest lies the lawless Badlands region, near the borders with Gallantaria and Mauristatia. Villages on the Brician side of the Badlands include Hanford and Ingolstadt.''Moonrunner'' - p.21 Places in Brice include: *Border River *Brackish Bay *City of Mazes *Dagga River *The Forbidden Fortress *Hanford (?) *Ingolstadt *"Oblivion" Prison Camp *Onyx Sea *Quill *Stinn *Ventarc Religion The main gods worshipped in Brice are Gredd (Sindla), Dyshyos (Fourga) and the Swordbearer (Telak). The temples of the latter two gods are supported by the Brician state, and all free citizens in the country must pay a tithe of fifty regents (around fifty Silver Pieces) per year to these religions. Culture Bricians have a saying: "Gold and all its power are the root of all that's sour!" '' Another well-known element of Brice is the unique drink that is found solely in the town of Quill in the far north of the country. Quillian Water looks, smells and tastes exactly like water... yet three small measures will kill a man. It tends to be served in thimbles at around 10 GP a shot. - ??/?? Bricians have also bred the Brician War-Hound to attack their enemies in combat. These creatures are often used for security or military purposes. Some have been encountered outside Brice: for instance in Ruddlestone, as part of a cruel game pitting the War-Hound against a Bear. ''Spellbreaker - p. 211 Brician Battle Tactics were sufficiently well-known to have been discussed by Minimite historians. - 59 Economy The fact that at least two Brician merchants are known to have traded in Kakhabad suggests commercial links between the two countries. See Also Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World, (LF): (pgs 18, 21, 36-37, 44, 45, 125, 126 ) Beyond the Pit, (pgs. 31, 125) Return to the Pit, (pg. 27) References Category:Old World Lands and Regions Category:Moonrunner Entries Category:The Tasks of Tantalon Entries Category:Legend of the Shadow Warriors Entries Category:Spellbreaker Entries Category:Non-Canon Category:Shrine of Hamaskis entries